Vinyl chloride suspension copolymerization combining click with sol-gel reactions for sustainable antifouling PVC copolymer ultrafiltration membranes

Abstract

Polymeric ultrafiltration technology, crucial in water treatment and desalination, faces challenges of membrane fouling that compromise performance and shorten the operational lifetime. Traditional polymer ultrafiltration membrane modifications, such as surface adsorption, grafting, and physical blending, have notable limitations including reduced permeability, structural instability, poor compatibility, and additive leakage. To overcome these shortcomings, we present a novel approach based on copolymerization, integrating click chemistry and sol-gel techniques for the preparation of copolymer ultrafiltration membranes. The active sites of sol-gel reaction were introduced into the PVC copolymer backbone through suspension copolymerization. Subsequently, an in-situ modification of resveratrol was carried out within the copolymer casting solution to facilitate sol-gel reaction with PVC skeleton, forming a crosslinking structure during the film-forming process. This approach enhances membrane properties like hydrophilicity, thermal stability, permeability, antifouling capability, and antibacterial adhesion without compromising structural integrity or causing additive leakage. Importantly, the hydrophilicity and permeability are sustained even after prolonged exposure to deionized water and bacterial conditions, respectively. Our research contributes to the advancement of durable and functional ultrafiltration membranes through copolymerization techniques, offering valuable insights to enrich membrane modification strategies for water treatment.